LibNeocon Tweets

Thursday, January 26, 2012

It is terrible that conservatives are out there distorting the records of each candidate. Or worse passing along wrong information without checking facts. All of them have qualifications and disqualifications. But can we get away from what they SAY they will do and compare what they actually DID when they were afforded governing power?

I was talking to a nationally published conservative author and speaker today who had absolutely no clue that Newt Gingrich gave the “keynote” rebuttal AGAINST Al Gore on Cap and Trade legislation. This is a travesty not just of conservative media, but those we surround ourselves with who will only hear it from us.

Sorry in advance to those supporting Santorum and Paul. For Florida at least, this is a 2 man race. My apologies in advance for the lack of objectivity. The more I read about how wildly Romney lies about his record (and distorts Newt’s), I realize I simply can’t address this without showing emotion. But I am trying to give an ACCURATE snapshot of anything that could be considered conservative or liberal on both. (Read why the Founder of the Heritage Foundation and Moral Majority was ready to lead a revolt against the GOP in 2008 if McCain selected Romney as VP.)

In 2003, Romney actually set the record for the most fee increases enacted by a state, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. In addition, he raised over $300 million dollars from businesses by “closing loopholes” on subchapter S corporations but this loophole closing actually resulted in doubling the tax rates. Indeed, as Peter Nicholas, chairman of Boston Scientific stated, “when Mitt Romney became governor in 2003, subchapter S corporations that were owned by Massachusetts business trusts were taxed at 5.3 percent…..By the time Romney left office, the tax rate on these corporations had climbed to 9.8 percent.” *

Was 47th out of 50 in job creation of all Governors. If Katrina had not hit he would have been lower. (RomneyCare cost MA 18,000 jobs alone.)

State spending ended $5.2 billion dollars higher when he began office.

He left a $3 billion $2 billion deficit via RomneyCare in unfunded liability. (Romney also claimed he turned $3 Billion deficit into $1 Billion surplus. Truth is it was only a $1.2 Billion deficit cut with gutting education and raising taxes. The “rainy day” fund ended up only being $77 Million surplus NOT a $1 Billion surplus.)

He spent millions on pork projects such as buying new cars for welfare recipients.

Initiated most liberal progressive socialized health care of any state in history. 50% (2010 poll) dislike it, and costs are higher than other states.

Allowed Planned Parenthood to be incorporated into MA law by name as part of the oversight of parts of the program.

A key MIT Economist and architect of “RomneyCare” admits it’s “the same f'***ing bill” as ObamaCare, and gave Democrats a blueprint.

Romney dramatically limited emissions on six power plants, even going so far as to claim – with radical environmentalists at his side – that one power plant had killed 59 people.

He continued to grant state aid to four “sanctuary cities” in Massachusetts with no effort made to restrict this assistance. Contrary to his campaign propaganda there was no bill or effort to give drivers licenses to illegals that he “fought.”

One of his own endorsers (Powerline) admit, “…there is no question that Governor Romney’s initial fiscal discipline slacked off in the second half of his term…” Note: Said another way, he couldn’t even be fiscally responsible for more than 2 years.

As Chairman of the Republican Governors Association lost 6 GOP seats in 2006 election and 20 of 36 races. *

As Governor Romney Massachusetts GOP lost seats and local media castigated him for speaking ill of the very liberal programs he himself tried to work on with Massachusetts Democrats trying to portray himself as a conservative outside of the state. Romney lost a net of 2 GOP seats in the MA Senate over his term and 5 seats in the MA House.

Conservative initiatives?

Romney closed a $1.2 billion deficit when he took over as Governor, and reinstated most of the initial salary cuts in 2006 as the economy grew.

He consolidated the social service and public health bureaucracy and restructured the Metropolitan District Commission.

Romney left office without running for a second term with approval ratings under 35%.

Newt Gingrich as GA Congressman and Speaker of the House:

33 years as Congressman including 4 as Speaker of the House

Lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 90% (most recent year was for 1998 at 100%)* **

He had a Democrat controlled Congress up until 1994, a Democrat President

Helped Reagan pass biggest tax cut in 50 years as Minority Whip, called out George Bush on breaking his promise and led (as a legislator) a Democrat President to do the same.

Art Laffer confirms Gingrich helped on a team that designed “Supply Side Economics.”

Supported/Championed policies that created 11 Million jobs.

National Taxpayers Union’s Annual Scorecard on reduced spending and taxes gave Gingrich an “A”, for his last four years in office, ranking him #1, #4, #2 and #11 and as one of the most conservative members in Congress.

Led a Balanced Budget initiative with a Democrat President. He did this AS A SPEAKER, not an Executive Branch Leader and not in control of the Senate or Executive Branch. He balanced the budget 4 times creating the first SURPLUS in decades.

$400 billion in debt was paid off during time as Speaker, although Gingrich agreed with Reagan on deal that ended up running deficits until 1988.

Fought and defeated HillaryCare both in strategy, as well as political and legislative maneuvering.

On third try got a Democratic President and Senate to initiate Welfare Reform that put 60% of recipients to work.

Gingrich’s pro-life voting record is 98.6%, 70 out of 71 votes.

Brought two partial birth abortion bills to Clinton that served as the model for what was passed under George W. Bush.

He helped Reagan’s initiative to eliminate 12 of 94 programs and cut budgets of many others like the SBA more than 50%. (Life Lesson: SBA grew afterward to over 10X it’s original budget. If you don’t eliminate a it, it will always grow bigger.)

He identified, recruited, campaigned for and helped organize the biggest minority opposition swing in US modern history getting 367 Congressional candidates to sign the Contract With America. This resulted in a NET GOP pickup of 52 seats in the House, 8 in the Senate and 11 Governorships. GOPAC founder Pete DuPont and Paul Weyrich both didn’t believe it could be done.

Contract With America - (1995 Description): “…represented the culmination of 30 years of creative conservative thinking dealing with the basic social and economic problems of modern America. The ideas provided the background for the widest range of legislative initiatives, certainly since the 1930s, and possibly at any time in American political history.”

The ten items in the Contract were all acted upon in the first 100 days of the new Congress, which is what the signatories had pledged. Nine of the ten items in the Contract passed the House: Only the constitutional amendment on term limits (which required a two-thirds vote) was defeated. Out of a total of 302 roll call votes on issues related to the Contract With America, the conservatives prevailed on 299 of them. A balanced budget amendment passed in the House by a 300-123 margin but was subsequently defeated as it fell one vote short of the two-thirds needed for passage in the U.S. Senate. The overall margin by which the items in the Contract were passed averaged about 70 percent despite the fact that the Republicans only held a 12-seat margin over the Democrats (52-48 percent, the smallest House majority margin in 40 years). Given the notorious lack of party discipline in the American Congress, the passage by a large majority of nearly all of the items in the Contract was a remarkable achievement.

I can’t adequately cover all 10 initiatives and their profundity but they include:

Congressional Reform including Congress being subject to the law they pass

Other sections of the Contract include a proposed Family Reinforcement Act (tax incentives for adoption, strengthening the powers of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and elderly dependent care tax credit) and the Senior Citizens Fairness Act (raise the Social Security earnings limit, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance).

The only bill that failed was Term Limits.

He is the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals at Air University and taught officers from all five services as an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University.

His “Liberal” Legislation?

Voted for Department of Education with Carter in first term.

Supported Reagan in Simpson-Mazzoli Amnesty Bill

Voted to raise taxes twice with Reagan.

Would vote for earmarks in exchange for conservative legislative votes.

When Newt became Speaker in 1995 congressional approval was about 20%. When he resigned the Speakership four years later, it was about 60%. (Now it is at 11%).

OBSERVATIONS

It is interesting how Romney is mostly lauded for conservative positions he never implemented, or was able to pass, when he was a governing leader and Gingrich is chastised for supposed liberal positions for which there is no voting record evidencing it. When it comes down to what they accomplished when in power to govern – Gingrich acted more like a Conservative President, and Romney more like a Compromising Legislator.

Similarly, why there is no evidence that Gingrich ever voted against something he campaigned on, Romney broke numerous pledges to both liberals and conservatives in his state.

So I leave it up to you to conclude who is more likely to do what they say.

(If I have omitted any MAJOR legislation that was passed into law for either – please submit in CONTACT page so I can add it).

FOOTNOTE: **Santorum lifetime ACU rating is only 83%, 84% for 1998 alone. David Keene, who headed the organization during most of Gingrich’s 20 years in Congress, said Gingrich’s rating is high in part because the issues on which he deviated were not voted on in Congress, and votes determine the group’s scorecard. While he’s not a conservative, he’s a partisan. He’s done a lot for conservatives. His speakership was basically conservative,” said Keene, who calls Gingrich a friend but is neutral in the 2012 race. Keene gives no substantive fact for his assertion and doesn’t explain why Gingrich wouldn’t vote for non-conservative positions if indeed he wasn’t a conservative. He similarly doesn’t comment on Santorum’s ideas that didn’t make it into law or Romney’s.

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comments:

Excellent article! It's so easy for people to be swayed by a 30 second attack ad, but their records speak for themselves. I didn't realize Santorum was part of the class Gingrich brought in- that's an interesting detail. The bottom line is that every candidate has flaws and every candidate has baggage. That's not my concern in this election. I'm worried about turning this country around- we won't have a country left after 4 more years of Obama.

It was his PAC's idea to go negative...thing Newt wnet with the 'fight fire with fire'....Odd how Romney's negatives were not touted as such....why is that? the Good Old Boy GOPs are scared of losing their hold on thing...They need to GO!

"He had a Democrat controlled Congress up until 1994, a Democrat President and Senate from 1992 until 1998"

I have to correct you on senate party control during the Gingrich Speaker years---it was republican, not democrat. Senate majority leader was Bob Dole (R)until Dole resigned in 1996, and was then Trent Lott (R) when Gingrich left the House.

Romney was not touted as being negative because of media bias against Gingrich. The liberal media also wants the easiest candidate the democrats know they will beat---the Obama people know that debating Gingrich will be a horror story against Obama. If anyone watched the California GOP Convention address Gingrich gave yesterday tearing apart the Obama speech on oil the day or two before should know that Gingrich will go after the Obama jugular in debates. Neither Romney nor Santorum have a chance against Obama. Gingrich is the only one that can throw Obama words right back in Obama's face.

Here is an amazing woman, Ann McElhinny, on FRACKING – the method for extracting oil that can make American ENERGY INDEPENDENT, AND EXPORTER TO THE WORLD within the next decade: There’s a wonder post on Newt and Obama, and then several videos at this Roger’s Daughter link.http://rogersdaughter.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/gingrich-debates-bho-nominate-the-one-man-who-can-beat-obama-where-the-battle-will-be-fought/#comment-103Go SUPER TUESDAY!! Thank you , Georgia!! You are the way to our better future!!